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OPC rough cuts… How is PSA grading on these with all the changes?

Used to be able to get good grades with rough cuts… Truly shows that a card has not been trimmed… I have a few I was thinking of sending in, but not sure how PSA is handling them now… I would hate to get killed on them because of the rough





cuts

Comments

  • HarnessracingHarnessracing Posts: 533 ✭✭✭✭
    edited August 31, 2025 8:29PM

    I’ve seen them grade them like it’s normal and I’ve seen them destroy them. Yours are pretty decent, 2nd Jackson and first Molitor in particular.
    I have cut cases from 86 and 87 and have been thinking about opening one of each.

  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 1,611 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Very hit or miss. I sent some 79s a year or so ago in different subs. Some were actually graded high but the low ones were really low

  • RufussCkingstonRufussCkingston Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think a lot of it is eye appeal. Those are some "hairy" cards!

  • handymanhandyman Posts: 5,459 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 1, 2025 6:37AM

    I sent in cards exactly like that thinking 9s and only sent in centered cards.I got 6-7s only

  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 1,611 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @handyman said:
    I sent in cards exactly like that thinking 9s and only sent in centered cards.I got 6-7s only

    Yep. My low subs were also around the 6s. It’s really luck of the draw with who grades on these.

    I only sent the centered too. A bummer some graders don’t seem familiar with those cuts.

  • 1982FBWaxMemories1982FBWaxMemories Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 1, 2025 12:09PM

    It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)

  • ElMagoStrikeZoneElMagoStrikeZone Posts: 1,033 ✭✭✭✭

    ^^^^^^^

    Not graded by Grader Of Death, but rather Grader Of Immense Generosity. Where are you now??????

  • HallcoHallco Posts: 3,680 ✭✭✭✭✭

    All of the major grading companies seem to be consistently tough on the Ryan(no experience with the others). I had one graded by "old SGC" 15+ years ago. 2 dealers inspected the card and thought it had a very good chance at 96/9......it came back 86/7.5!

  • bgrbgr Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 1, 2025 7:04PM

    It’s a real nice 7 though. I would get it signed. Thats a great example. Never know how they’re gonna treat the mold.

    I think they’re a grade or two harder on rough edges than they were 5-10 years ago.

  • olb31olb31 Posts: 3,794 ✭✭✭✭✭

    they grade the surface much different than they used. i used ti get 9's and 10's consistently. now since the cardboard used by opc was terrible, they grade the cardboard no more than 7's for the most part. sgc is the same way. the schmidt would be no more than 8 today probably a 7, really sad.

    Work hard and you will succeed!!
  • RufussCkingstonRufussCkingston Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Yeah, you get slight wrinkles on the surface of the OPC up to the mid 80's, especially with hockey. So it could be a dead grade before they even take the rough cut into consideration.

  • RonSportscardsRonSportscards Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think they're following the sentiment of modern collectors.
    You see cards like this on social media and the comments go berserk!
    "How is that a 10 when my pack pulled blue wave refractor came back a 6 ?!"
    And there's so many modern card posts asking "Why is this 6 or 7 or whatever?"
    The card may have one slight white dot corner, the comments will justify the grade saying the corner is "busted up."
    Hypercritical and harsh.
    PSA may just be following their lead as to what is acceptable to the next gen collector, and it's changing the landscape.

  • olb31olb31 Posts: 3,794 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @RonSportscards said:
    I think they're following the sentiment of modern collectors.
    You see cards like this on social media and the comments go berserk!
    "How is that a 10 when my pack pulled blue wave refractor came back a 6 ?!"
    And there's so many modern card posts asking "Why is this 6 or 7 or whatever?"
    The card may have one slight white dot corner, the comments will justify the grade saying the corner is "busted up."
    Hypercritical and harsh.
    PSA may just be following their lead as to what is acceptable to the next gen collector, and it's changing the landscape.

    Depends on who is grading it, maybe?

    Work hard and you will succeed!!
  • pdoidoipdoidoi Posts: 869 ✭✭✭✭

    Pretty soon people may only be grading fresh new Pokemon.
    Very sad.

  • bgrbgr Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sadness is looking at all those books of Pokemon cards my kids have from the past 15 years and telling them how much those cards would have been worth had they not used them as frisbees. "That page would have been worth a house on the beach!"

  • BBBrkrrBBBrkrr Posts: 1,611 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @pdoidoi said:
    Pretty soon people may only be grading fresh new Pokemon.
    Very sad.

    I don't think the grading companies will be very sad about that!

    All us vintage folks are a dying breed (sometimes literally).

  • 1982FBWaxMemories1982FBWaxMemories Posts: 1,980 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @BBBrkrr said:

    @pdoidoi said:
    Pretty soon people may only be grading fresh new Pokemon.
    Very sad.

    I don't think the grading companies will be very sad about that!

    All us vintage folks are a dying breed (sometimes literally).

    Still a bunch of new threads here trying to hype and pump vintage as jumping across board. But what u say is very true!

    It's the singer not the song - Peter Townshend (1972)

  • 19541954 Posts: 2,920 ✭✭✭

    PSA has been brutal on them, just like every other product they grade. But they have been extremely unforgiving on OPC. I really think some of the graders don't know the difference between the cuts.

    Looking for high grade rookie cards and unopened boxes/cases
  • ndleondleo Posts: 4,183 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I had a PSA 7.5 1979 OPC Gretzky that had the cleanest cut edges I have ever seen, almost modern 1980s level clean cut. Over time after seeing other 79 OPC Gretzkys, the clean cut started to bother me because it was almost TOO clean.

    Eventually I put it up for auction and ended up buying a PSA 7 Gretzky with the typical OPC cut.

    Mike
  • bgrbgr Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @ndleo said:
    I had a PSA 7.5 1979 OPC Gretzky that had the cleanest cut edges I have ever seen, almost modern 1980s level clean cut. Over time after seeing other 79 OPC Gretzkys, the clean cut started to bother me because it was almost TOO clean.

    Eventually I put it up for auction and ended up buying a PSA 7 Gretzky with the typical OPC cut.

    Peek-a-boo.

  • DanS832DanS832 Posts: 124 ✭✭✭

    Graded about a year ago

  • 80sOPC80sOPC Posts: 1,522 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow that is a very nice 3.

  • @80sOPC said:
    Wow that is a very nice 3.

    Yes, because it's probably not a 3. It was just stabbed that way.

  • Kepper19Kepper19 Posts: 391 ✭✭✭

    @DanS832 said:
    Graded about a year ago

    I would send it in to be reviewed and force them to tell you why it is a 3...I would be very surprised if it didn't bump a number of grades, unless there is some wrinkle that can't be seen in the photo

  • balco758balco758 Posts: 1,454 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 14, 2025 5:17PM

    Agree worth a re-sub.
    Here is a recently graded 6 for comparison

  • RufussCkingstonRufussCkingston Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭✭✭

    https://www.psacard.com/cert/97443932/psa

    Basically it is getting hammered because the left side is more or less "ripped" from the sheet rather than cut from the sheet. It doesn't even have a top left corner. So if we used BGS subgrade rules, this card got an edge grade of 2 and then a 1 grade bump because everything else graded 5 or higher. I guess a rounded corner could make for a 3 grade as well.

    I'd crack and send it to BGS or SGC

  • bgrbgr Posts: 2,809 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It’s easy for me to believe PSA got the grade wrong. But I’m curious about these. Dimple?

  • DanS832DanS832 Posts: 124 ✭✭✭

    I was thinking because it was centered well I could get t psa 5 or at least psa 4.5. Will crak it out would of these days and re-submit

  • initialDinitialD Posts: 1,625 ✭✭✭

    @DanS832 said:
    I was thinking because it was centered well I could get t psa 5 or at least psa 4.5. Will crak it out would of these days and re-submit

    Great eye appeal for a 3!
    Looks like a decent crease from the bottom border, through his skate and up to his other shin

  • DanS832DanS832 Posts: 124 ✭✭✭

    Its a mark might be considered a crease or a scratch. It does not show on the back side

  • RufussCkingstonRufussCkingston Posts: 1,770 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 14, 2025 10:17PM

    @initialD said:

    @DanS832 said:
    I was thinking because it was centered well I could get t psa 5 or at least psa 4.5. Will crak it out would of these days and re-submit

    Great eye appeal for a 3!
    Looks like a decent crease from the bottom border, through his skate and up to his other shin

    I missed that crease.. In that case it is an automatic 5, and then you get a deduction for the left edge and rounded corner. I don't know if a 4 in SGC or BGS is going to move the needle. But as is would probably get a money bump for the centering if you auctioned it off.

  • The OPC get really tricky around those corners. I find myself splitting the difference. The two Gretzky cards should be a bit higher based on the fronts. When you flip the cards over the corners are more obvious.

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